Some thoughts after my first playthru:

There is much to improve:
- UI could be more responsive.
- All sorts of pauses during combat need to be ironed out (similar stuff as Firaxis XCOM had).
- Game performance goes down on longer sessions so more optimizing needed.
That said I didn't have any real issue with my system.

I can imagine there is a pretty steep learning curve in this game. I had played all sorts of Battletech and Mechwarrior games before so I knew how things generally work and how to equip 'mechs. Without all that knowledge things might get hard very fast.
The most challenge to me came before I realized that going in the middle of the map is a sure way to get outnumbered in battle and assasination missions.

On my first playthru I prioritized the story missions most of the time and only went for mercenary contracts later in the story. On my next playthru I'll enjoy the smaller mechs at the beginning a bit longer and advance the story slower. I really like the freedom you get when choosing where to go next.

There is a lot of potential for more in this game as well. I really hope HBS will create new stories and expand this pocket universe in the Periphery. Any DLC/expansion that more than just pretty things will be an automatic purchase for me.

Some thoughts after my first playthru: There is much to improve: - UI could be more responsive. - All sorts of pauses during combat need to be ironed out (similar stuff as Firaxis XCOM had). - Game performance goes down on longer sessions so more optimizing needed. That said I didn't have any real issue with my system. I can imagine there is a pretty steep learning curve in this game. I had played all sorts of Battletech and Mechwarrior games before so I knew how things generally work and how to equip 'mechs. Without all that knowledge things might get hard very fast. The most challenge to me came before I realized that going in the middle of the map is a sure way to get outnumbered in battle and assasination missions. On my first playthru I prioritized the story missions most of the time and only went for mercenary contracts later in the story. On my next playthru I'll enjoy the smaller mechs at the beginning a bit longer and advance the story slower. I really like the freedom you get when choosing where to go next. There is a lot of potential for more in this game as well. I really hope HBS will create new stories and expand this pocket universe in the Periphery. Any DLC/expansion that more than just pretty things will be an automatic purchase for me.